Collapsible table



c. u. HANNUM- 7 2,057,334

COLLAPSIBLE TABLE Filed July 9, Y 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Qct. 13,1936. c.U.,HAI\YINUM 2,057,334

COLLAPS IBTJE TABLE Filed July 9, 1935 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEY.

Patented Oct. 13, 1936 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE COLLAPSIBLE TABLECharles Ulyssess Hannum, Glassboro,N. .1.

Application July 9, 1935, Serial No. 30,445

4 Claims. (Cl. 311-44) This invention relates to the art of tablestructures, and is particularly concerned with constructions which are.of a collapsible character. At the present time there are available tothe public tables which are identifiable as being of a collapsiblecharacter, but the severe service conditions under which some of thesetables are used have established the unsatisfactory character of themanner in which the table top is supported by the side bars. From thevery nature of the collapsible table, it is essential that the side barsconnecting the legs be hingedly connected, and due to this hingedconnection, the supporting effects at this point are not sufficient topermit the table to stand up under continued usage.

This invention, therefore, has in view, as its primal object, theprovision of a collapsible table which includes legs to which arehingedly connected side bars, and which side bars are supported at theirextremities by the leg structure in a positive manner separate from thehinged connection.

Another objective of this invention is to provide in a table structure aleg which is designed to have a side bar hingedly connected thereto, andwhich leg includes a shoulder designed for direct engagement with theextremity of the side bar.

Another end in view is to provide a collapsible table of the characterabove noted, which may be made in any number of desired sections, andwhich may be collapsed with the side bars assuming a position parallelto the end bars, whereby the supporting structure of the table may besnugly collapsed into small limits.

Particular features and objects of the invention are associated with theprovision of supporting legs in accordance with the above notedprecepts, which will accommodate table structures of varying length.

The invention, therefore, comprises a collapsible table including aremovable table top and supporting structure consisting of legsconnected by end bars and side bars which are hingedly connected to thelegs, the side bars being of sectional construction, the sections ofwhich are hinged together and the extremities of which are directlysupported by the legs.

For a full and more complete understanding of the invention referencemay be had to the accompanying drawings and description, in which:

Figure 1 is a perspective view of the supporting structure of acollapsible table made in accordance with this invention,

Figure 2 is a plan view bringing out the manher in which the partsinterfit as the table is collapsed,

Figure 3 is another plan view showing the parts completely collapsed.

Figure 4 is a perspective illustration of one form of supporting leg,

Figure, 5 is a similar view of another type of supporting leg which isdesigned primarily for use intermediate the extremities of a. table,while.

Figure 6 is still another perspective view of another form of leg, and IFigure 7 is a perspective showing of a folding table top.

Referring now to the drawings, wherein like reference characters denotecorresponding parts, the supporting structure for a table, such ascontemplated by this invention, is shown in Figure 1 as comprising threepairs of legs. Each of the pair of legs at the center is referred to bythe reference character ll, while the pair at each end is made up of aleg designated I0 and one designated l2. While the drawings illustrate asupporting structure as made up of two sections, it is to be understoodthat the invention is not to be limited in this respect, as obviously,as many sections as desired maybe included. v

Referring now to Figure 4, the individual construction of one of thelegs 10 is shown as including an enlarged upper portion I3 which is cutout to provide a shoulder I4 which lies in a horizontal plane when thetable is assembled. Upstanding from the shoulder I4 is an inner wall I5which is designed to lie in the plane of the end of the table. Anotherwall I6, referred to as a side wall, also upstands from the shoulder l4,and this wall is designed to have the face of a side bar engagethereagainst. An abutment for the end of a side bar is also shown in theform of an abutting wall ll, which is connected to the end wall [5 by ahinged wall l8.

When the parts are assembled one of these legs II] is connected to a legI2 by a bar I9, which has its ends secured to the wall I5 in anypreferred manner, as by screws (not shown). The lower edge of the bar I9engages the shoulders I to provide adequate supporting effects for thisend bar.

Referring now to Figure 5, the construction of one of these intermediateside legs II is illustrated, and this form of the leg includes an upperenlarged part 20 which is formed with a shoulder 2|. Upstanding from theshoulder 2| are a pair of wall sections 22 and 23, which lie insubstantially the same vertical plane, and which are spaced apart by anabutment 24 having a face 25 designed to receive a hinge. The abutment24 also provides abutting walls 26 and 21.

When the legs II are assembled in the structure, as shown in Figure 1, across bar 28 is positioned with its extremities engaging the horizontalshoulder 2| and fitting in the corner defined by the walls 22 and 21.Again, .the connection between the cross bar 28 and the legs Il may berendered permanent in any preferred manner, as by the use of screws.

In Figure 6 another type of end leg is shown, being that designated l2in Figure 1. In this form the upper extremity of the leg is enlarged, asat 29, and provided with a horizontal shoulder 30 from which upstands aside wall 3| and an end wall 32. The end bar l9 connects one of the legsI 2 with one of the legs H] and. one extremity thereof is received inthe corner defined by the Walls 3| and 32 at the same time beingsupported by the shoulder 30.

Extending between the legs l0 and II, and H and I2, on each side of thestructure, is a side bar made up of a pair of sections 33 which arehinged together, as shown at 34. These hinges 34 preferably includeflanges at 4| which overlap the top edges of'the sections 33 to providegood supporting effects.

The extremities of the sections 33 are received in the corner defined bythe walls 16 and I! of the legs ID, a hinge at 35 providing for a hingedconnection at this point. It is notable that the underedge of thesection 33 is supported by the shoulder l4 whenever the parts are intheir opened supporting position. The hinge 35 is connected to the innerface of the section 33 as by screws at 36, and also to the hinge walll8.

Each of. the sections 33 which are connected to the legs H are hingedlyconnected thereto in a similar manner by the hinges shown at 31 and 38.It is notable that the arrangement of the hinges 31 and 38 on each sideof the table is reversed, that is, on one side, the hinge 3! is disposedin a right angular position when the parts are open, while at thecorresponding connection on the other side, the hinge 38 is opened flat.

The structure shown at Figure 1 may support one or more of the foldingtable tops shown in Figure 7 as made up of a pair of leaf members 39which are hinged together at 40. As many of these table top sections asshown in Figure 7 may be included in the structure as occasion demands.They are preferably merely laid on the supporting structure of Figure 1without being secured thereto in any positive manner. However, ifoccasion demands, such positive connection may be availed of.

When the table is not in use, the supporting structure in Figure l iscollapsed into the position shown in Figure 3, with the sections 33 ofthe side bars interfitting with each other in the manner clearly broughtout in Figure 2. This particular form of nesting of the side barsections is provided for by the particular arrangements of the hinges.It is noted that each of the hinges 34 which join the sections 33together provide for relative inward movement of the joint at thispoint, while the hinges which connect the extremities of the section 33to the legs provide for breaking of the joint in the opposite direction.

With the arrangement of having at each pair of end legs or intermediatelegs a hinge which, when opened, is fiat, together with a hinge which,when open, is in a right angular position, provides for the snuginterfitting of the bars clearly shown in Figure 3.

While a preferred specific embodiment of the invention is hereinbeforeset forth, i s to be understood that I am not to be limited to the exactconstructions illustrated and described, as various modifications ofthese details may be provided in putting the invention into practice,within the purview of the appended claims.

I 'claim:

1. In a collapsible table structure including a removable top andsectional side bars, the combination with a supporting leg having an endwall adapted to have an end bar connected thereto, a side wall adaptedto have a section of one of the side bars hingedly connected thereto,said end and side walls being disposed substantially at right angles toeach other, said leg also having an abutting wall lying in a planeparallel to the plane of the end wall, and a second side wall adapted tohave the face of said side bar sec tion in engagement therewith, of anend bar having one end connected to said end wall, a second leg havingan end wall to which said end bar is connected, the end walls of the twolegs being in the same plane, the second mentioned leg also having aside wall adapted to have a side bar connected thereto disposed at rightangles to the end wall, and a pair of hinges, one being connected to thefirst leg and having a part permanently secured to said side wall, withthe other hinge part connected to said side bar section, the other hingewhich is connected at the second leg having a part secured to the endbar and another part connected to another side bar section.

2. In a collapsible table structure including a removable top andsectional side bars, the combination with a pair of legs one located oneach side of the table, of a bar extending therebetween and connectedthereto, of a pair of hinges, one of the hinges being secured at one endof said bar and to a side bar section on one side of the table with theother hinge secured to the leg at the other side of the table and toanother side bar section.

3. In a collapsible table structure including a removable top andsectional side bars, the combination with a pair of legs one located oneach side of the table, of a bar extending therebetween and connectedthereto, of a pair of hinges, one of the hinges being secured at one endof said bar on one side of the table and to one of the side bar sectionswith the other hinge secured to the leg at the other side of the tableand to another side bar section, each of said legs being formed with ahorizontal shoulder in engagement with the lower edge of the said bar,said shoulder being continued beneath said hinges.

4. In a collapsible table structure including a removable top andsectional side bars, the com bination with a pair of supporting legsdisposed intermediate the extremities of the table, of a cross barextending therebetween, each of said legs being formed with a horizontalshoulder adjacent to the top end thereof, an abutment defined by a hingewall and abutting walls upstanding from the horizontal shoulder, sidewalls also upstanding from the shoulder at right angles to the abuttingwalls, said side walls being of different lengths, the legs being soarranged that the shorter wall on one side is located directly oppositeto the longer wall in the other side, and a pair of hinges, one hingebeing connected to the hinge wall on one leg and to a side bar sectionwhile the other hinge is connected to the hinge wall of the other legand another side bar section.

CHARLES ULYSSESS HANNUM.

